Irish champion Brammeier signs contract with Synergy Baku squad

Stage race victory and defence of his national title listed as two key goals for 2014

Searching for a team after his Champion System team was forced to stop due to a lack of sponsorship, Irish road race champion Matt Brammeier has secured a contract with the Synergy Baku team for 2014.

The 28 year old has come on board as the team’s seventeenth rider and is expected to be one of the big guns next season. He has underlined his ability with an unprecedented four consecutive Irish road race titles, beating riders such as Nicolas Roche, Dan Martin and Philip Deignan, and is now hoping to transfer that kind of form into victories in international events.

“I raced a little with the guys in 2013 and noticed straight away the great professionalism and good vibe within the team,” Brammeier stated, speaking about his signing to the team.

He said that he has known general manager David McQuaid for quite a while and that this helped him to make his decision. “I'm also good friends with some of the other guys on the team, Connor McConvey, David McCann and Jeremy Hunt, and I'm excited to start working with them and of course meeting all of the new faces over the next few weeks.”

Brammeier has become known for attacking racing and this year picked up valuable publicity for his Champion System team with such forays, as well as netting some solid results. In addition to his Irish title, he was also tenth on a stage of the Tour of California plus fifteenth in the 1.1-ranked Schaal Sels.

However in recent years he has also had a number of near misses, being caught close to the finish of big events. He will continue to ride aggressively in 2014 but should also have the backing of the Azerbaijan team to race in a protected manner.

He is clear on some of his targets. “I have never won a GC at a stage race, that is something I would like to do. Of course I also want to try and retain my national title and have a strong and consistent year for the team,” he stated.

“Hopefully i can pass on the experience I have to some of the younger guys on the team and help us all knit well together and really work as a unit. I really appreciate the chance the team has given me to be a part of what hopefully will be an ever-growing project for cycling in Azerbaijan.”

Brammeier spent two years with the An Post Sean Kelly team and on the basis of his performances there, moved to HTC Highroad in 2011. He was given an extension to his contract but, days later, the team learned that it wouldn’t have backing and was forced to stop. He then moved to Omega Pharma Quick Step for a year, and then on to Champion System for 2013.

He’s now hoping to clock up results which will give him a bit more stability for the future.

McQuaid is happy with the signing, which will be the last prior to the start of 2014.

“I'm very pleased to be bringing Matt to the team, as are the others, riders and staff. Matt brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his years at HTC and Quick Step, plus his season at Champion Systems, a Pro Conty team, the level we are aspiring to in twelve months time.

“Matt is a guy who loves to ride his bike and in previous seasons has done that for others. Here at BCP, he'll have as many opportunities for victories as the rest of the team.”

In addition to his four road race championship titles, Brammeier was also the national TT champion in 2011. McQuaid is keen to take another shamrock jersey or two at next year’s championships. “Now with [Connor] McConvey and Brammeier at the championships next June, we'd like to fancy our chances against Nico Roche, Dan Martin and co.”

Although UCI Continental teams can in theory have up to sixteen riders, a seventeenth is permitted under a rule allowing such teams to add “up to four riders specializing in other endurance cycling disciplines.” McQuaid said that the Australian Luke Davison falls under that category as a track rider.